Attorneys at Law

Cohen Williams Williams LLP concentrates on complex litigation matters with a simple and singular focus: the client. We protect our clients at each and every stage of litigation through bold advocacy, integrity, and candor in both federal and state courts. Our lawyers combine the perspective and talent developed at the nation’s biggest and best law firms with the unique grit and judgment gained through extensive experience in trial and appellate courtrooms.

Dordi Williams Cohen LLP is now Cohen Williams Williams LLP
Dordi Williams Cohen LLP is thrilled to announce Jennifer Williams’s addition to the masthead. In addition, following Firdaus Dordi’s departure for the bench, we have officially changed our name to Cohen Williams Williams LLP.

We will continue receiving emails sent to @dordiwilliamscohen for the next several months.

724 South Spring Street, 9th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213-232-5160

Reuven L. Cohen

Partner

213-232-5163
rcohen@cohen-williams.com

Reuven L. Cohen brings twenty years of trial experience to the firm. Over the past decade, Reuven has successfully tried some of the most high-profile cases in the Central District of California. He has earned a reputation for integrity and excellence based upon his singular creativity, meticulous attention to detail, and fierce dedication to his clients and his craft.

Prior to co-founding Cohen Williams Williams LLP (formerly Dordi Williams Cohen LLP), Reuven practiced as a civil litigator in the New York office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and the prestigious trial unit of the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles. Having litigated hundreds of complex cases nationwide, he has developed a specialty in high stakes federal commercial and criminal litigation as well as select state and local matters. Reuven tries cases – and gets real-life results for his clients. Rare is the white-collar attorney who has tried cases to verdict; rarer still is the white-collar attorney with Reuven’s track record of actually beating the government.

On the criminal side, Reuven has represented individuals and entities at all stages of federal and state proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels. He has defended individuals and businesses in a wide array of white collar criminal matters, including securities and investment fraud, cyber-crimes, healthcare fraud, tax fraud, perjury, immigration and customs fraud, money laundering, counterfeiting, false statements, and identity theft. He has also successfully represented persons charged with other high-liability crimes, ranging from capital offenses to complex environmental crimes involving the Clean Water Act and other environmental statutes.

Reuven also has significant civil litigation experience, having handled SEC and FTC enforcement actions and investigations, tried civil cases, and litigated several bet-the-business disputes. He has represented clients in all manner of civil and administrative proceedings, including numerous complex commercial, environmental, intellectual property, and appellate matters.

Reuven has been honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer by Thomson-Reuters every year upon his return to private practice from government service. This year, Super Lawyers named Reuven as one of the Top 100 Southern California Lawyers. Reuven shares that honor with six other white-collar crime practitioners.

Clerkships
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Law Clerk, Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw

Marc S. Williams

Partner

213-232-5162
mwilliams@cohen-williams.com

Marc S. Williams is a civil litigator with extensive experience in state and federal courts. Marc also handles complex white collar criminal cases. Marc has represented clients in all stages of litigation, including trial and appeals, investigations, as well as arbitrations and mediations. He also provides practical advice to assist clients in non-litigation matters.

Before co-founding Cohen Williams Williams LLP (formerly Dordi Williams Cohen LLP) in 2014, Marc was a partner at One LLP, an entertainment and intellectual property boutique litigation firm. Previously, he had spent ten years as a litigator at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP in that firm’s Los Angeles and Century City offices. Marc has been recognized as a Rising Star in Thomson-Reuters list of “Super Lawyers” on four occasions and five times as a Super Lawyer in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Clerkships
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Law Clerk, Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw

Jennifer L. Williams

Partner

213-232-5171
jwilliams@cohen-williams.com

A former federal prosecutor, Jennifer L. Williams brings a unique perspective to Cohen Williams Williams LLP. She is a skilled trial and appellate attorney with experience litigating cases involving healthcare fraud, money laundering, deprivation of civil rights, and customs, tax, and RICO violations. Jennifer now represents individuals and entities in complex state and federal litigation locally and throughout the United States. Jennifer is known for her ability to genuinely connect with people and to quickly identify and understand issues central to a case. With a results-oriented mindset, she is an advocate for her clients at the highest level.

Prior to joining Cohen Williams Williams LLP, Jennifer served as an Assistant United States Attorney for nearly eight years, having been hired through the nationally competitive Department of Justice Honors Program. While at the U.S. Attorney's Office, she tried numerous jury trials, argued several cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and directed a wide variety of grand jury and wiretap investigations. Jennifer served as a deputy chief, supervising a team of prosecutors, and as a Department of Justice faculty member for the National Advocacy Center. She trained agents and prosecutors, both nationally and internationally, about substantive and procedural criminal law. Jennifer was the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Department of Justice Director's Award, presented by the Attorney General in 2015.

Dedicated to her community and the legal profession, Jennifer has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and volunteered with Project LEAD, educating students in Boyle Heights about the criminal justice system.

Clerkships
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitLaw Clerk, Hon. R. Guy Cole
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of OhioLaw Clerk, Hon. Algenon L. Marbley

Kathleen M. Erskine

Of Counsel

213-232-5166
kerskine@cohen-williams.com

Kathleen M. Erskine is a civil and criminal litigator with a broad range of experience in state and federal courts. Among other areas, Kathleen specializes in business litigation, labor and employment, and complex white collar criminal matters. Prior to joining Cohen Williams Williams LLP, Kathleen was a founding partner of Love & Erskine, LLP, a law firm handling business litigation, employment, and civil rights matters.

Kathleen is a member of the Executive Committee and Saturday Seminar Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section. She has organized dozens of seminars for labor and employment practitioners, and has moderated and been a featured speaker on employment issues on many occasions for LACBA and other organizations. Kathleen also conducts training on employment issues.

Kathleen was honored as a Rising Star in Thompson-Reuters list of “Super Lawyers” for seven consecutive years, from 2006 through 2012, and has been named a Super Lawyer in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2002 Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Trinity College, B.A., 1996 Honors in General Scholarship (Summa Cum Laude) Phi Beta Kappa

Charles J. Snyder

Associate

213-232-5164
csnyder@cohen-williams.com

Charles J. Snyder represents clients in criminal and civil matters in state and federal court. His clients have included Fortune 100 companies, mid-sized and small businesses, and individuals. For every client, his focus is the same: achieving the best result through ethical, efficient, and high-quality advocacy.

Charles joined the firm following a federal clerkship in the Central District of California. Before clerking, Charles worked at Reed Smith LLP, where he represented clients in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts, as well as arbitrations and agency matters. Charles has tried multiple cases to verdict, written and argued motions, taken depositions, and conducted complex civil and criminal investigations. Prior to joining Reed Smith, he externed at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2012
University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 2007
National Institute for Trial Advocacy

Clerkships
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Law Clerk, Hon. George H. Wu

Anya J. Goldstein

Associate

213-232-5165
agoldstein@cohen-williams.com

Anya J. Goldstein is a civil and criminal litigator who learns her clients' objectives and works creatively to accomplish them. She has tried cases to verdict, argued before the California Court of Appeal, briefed and argued successful motions, taken and defended depositions, and conducted witness interviews and fact investigations. Before joining the firm, Anya worked as a litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, where she represented international entertainment, investment, and professional-services firms in high-stakes disputes and investigations. Anya was recognized as a Rising Star on the Thomson-Reuters list of “Super Lawyers” in 2017.

Along with her work at the firm, Anya serves on the founding board of UCLA Law Women LEAD, a women's initiative that partners with UCLA alumnae and students to create intergenerational professional networks for support and inspiration.

Anya graduated third in her class at UCLA School of Law, where she was a senior editor of the UCLA Law Review and a Michael T. Masin Scholar. Anya served as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Germany and as a law clerk to the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Practice Areas

Cohen Williams Williams LLP provides each client with the highest quality of legal representation. Whether handling a complex commercial dispute or a high-stakes criminal trial, we combine the skills and experience of a large law firm with the personalized attention and value that only a litigation boutique can provide. Our attorneys are former judicial law clerks who practiced civil litigation and criminal defense at elite government agencies and the biggest law firms in the nation. Our team has decades of trial and appellate experience in both federal and state courts. We know how to take civil and criminal cases to trial and win. Through every stage of civil litigation and criminal defense, we remain focused on obtaining the best result for our client.

Civil Litigation
Cohen Williams Williams LLP handles a wide range of civil litigation matters. We litigate contract disputes, unfair competition claims, business fraud claims, intellectual property disputes, securities litigation and SEC enforcement actions and investigations, partnership disputes, and civil rights cases. We have broad experience in every aspect of civil litigation -- from pre-filing investigation through motion practice and discovery to trial and appeals. We also advise clients in a variety of matters, helping them develop good practices and avoid litigation. In all our representations, we remain focused on achieving the best results for our client.

Criminal Defense
Cohen Williams Williams LLP has broad experience in white collar and general criminal defense. Our attorneys have represented corporations and individuals in criminal trials, investigative hearings, and internal investigations. We have tried dozens of complex criminal trials and successfully achieved pretrial resolution in numerous cases. We regularly argue criminal appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Our criminal representations include defense of white collar criminal matters such as bank fraud, cyber-crimes, healthcare fraud, violations of securities laws, and violations of federal and state regulations. We also handle general criminal matters ranging from minor offenses to capital cases.

Rare, voluntary dismissal with prejudice following USAO presentation.

Federal prosecutors charged a firm client, a bank officer, with conspiring to launder money and evading a currency reporting requirement. Following aggressive negotiations and a presentation inside the United States Attorney's Office, prosecutors took the extraordinary step of voluntarily dismissing all charges against the client with prejudice, saving the client money and avoiding the stress and publicity of trial.

Local prosecutors charged a firm client, a technology entrepreneur, with two counts of felony extortion. After vigorous cross-examinations – in which it was shown that the star witness was repeatedly perjuring herself – and a motion to dismiss for prosecutorial misconduct, prosecutors gave up, dropping the entire case three weeks into an expected four-week trial.

Complete acquittal following two-week federal jury trial.

Federal prosecutors charged a firm client with a string of bank thefts that allegedly netted him and his co-conspirators more than $20 million. Before retaining the firm, the client pleaded guilty to similar crimes that took place both before and after the charged events. Following an eight-day trial, in which the government called two cooperating witnesses, 10 law-enforcement officers, and multiple experts, the jury returned a verdict completely acquitting the firm client. His co-defendant was convicted.

Complete dismissal of 57-count indictment in $150 million fraud prosecution.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office obtained a 57-count indictment charging a firm client with conspiracy, insurance fraud, and 21 counts of aggravated mayhem, each of which carried a $1 million bond and potential life sentence. After extensive briefing and argument, the Court dismissed the case -- in full -- based on prosecutors' errors during grand jury proceedings.

Complete defense victory and $500,000 fee award in arbitration between former business partners.

Two firm clients removed their former business partners as managers of a jointly-owned LLC. The former business partners responded by suing for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and defamation, claiming $6 million in damages. Following a four-day arbitration, the arbitrator found in favor of the firm clients and ordered the former business partners to pay all of the firm clients' attorney's fees, which she characterized as "just and reasonable" for several years of litigation.

Complete acquittal in complex federal prosecution.

Federal prosecutors charged a firm client with two Clean Water Act violations and two counts of criminal contempt. The contempt charges stemmed from nine years of Clean Water Act litigation brought by the United States Attorney’s Office. The client also had a prior Clean Water Act conviction. Following an eight-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a “Not Guilty” verdict on all four counts. Read about the verdict in the Daily Journal article.

Firm teams up with O’Melveny & Meyers, LLP to secure $7.9 million arbitration award for clients.

Firm client, a committee of hedge fund investors, sued a fund manager to recover losses suffered as a result of the manager's self-dealing. After an eight-day arbitration hearing involving complex financial expert testimony, the arbitration panel found the fund manager liable for willful misconduct and ordered it to repay $7.9 million.

New hires profiled in Daily Journal.

Within a two-month span, the firm added Jennifer Williams from the United States Attorney's Office and Anya Goldstein from Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. Read more about these hirings in the Daily Journal article.